MUSIC THEORY QUICK FACTS SHEET

PART-WRITING RULES

1. Allow all tendency tones to resolve correctly.
2. Do not create parallel octaves, fifths, or unisons

(by parallel or contrary motion).

3. If it is possible to keep a note, do so, if not, move

each part by the smallest possible interval. Avoid
leaping by large, or difficult intervals – especially
augmented intervals.

4. No more than an octave between SA and AT.
5. No crossed voicings or overlapping of voices.
6. When there is a choice of which chord member to

double, use the most stable tone present. Usually,
this is the root, followed by the fifth. Never
double a tendency tone as this will force you to
break rule 1 or 2.

7. Never omit any note of a triad or seventh chord

except the fifth – and only omit the fifth when you
must do so in order to follow rule 1.

These principles assume that you have written with the
correct ranges and that all the chords actually contain
the notes you say they do.

INVERSION SYMBOLS

Root

Position

1

st

Inv.

2

nd

Inv.

3

rd

Inv.

Triad

none

6

6
4

none

Seventh

Chord

7

6
5

4
3

4
2

DIATONIC CHORD QUALITIES

Major I ii iii IV V vi vii

o

Minor i ii

o

III iv

V

(v)

VI

vii

o

(VII)

* In minor the V and the vii

o

require

an accidental to raise the leading tone.

NUMBER OF HALFSTEPS

IN SIMPLE INTERVALS

Dim

Min

Maj

Aug

2

nd

0 1 2 3

3

rd

2 3 4 5

6

th

7 8 9 10

7

th

9 10 11 12

Dim Per Aug

4

th

4 5 6

5

th

6 7 8

8

th

11 12 13

NON-CHORD TONES

Type

Approached By:

Left By:

Neighbor Tone

step

step in opposite direction

Passing Tone

step

step in the same direction

Appoggiatura

leap

step in the opposite direction

Escape Tone

step

leap in the opposite direction

Suspension

same note

step down

Retardation

same note

step up

Anticipation

step or leap

same note

Pedal Tone

same note

same note

FUNCTIONAL DIATONIC CHORD PROGRESSIONS

Rule of Thumb

Diagram of Common Functional Progressions

Root

movement by:

Typical

Direction

2

nd

Ascending

3

rd

Descending

5

th

Descending

TENDENCY TONES

• The leading tone in a V or vii

o

chord resolves UP by step

to the tonic pitch when going to I or vi.

• The 7

th

of any chord resolves DOWN by step.

• The root of a Neapolitan chord (lowered 2

nd

scale degree)

resolves DOWN by diminished 3

rd

to the leading tone of

a V chord.

• The pitches forming the augmented 6

th

interval in any of

the augmented sixth chords resolve outward by halfstep
in both directions to the dominant pitch.

•

Any pitch that is altered usually resolves in the direction
of its alteration.

CADENCE TYPES

Cadence Name

Identifying Characteristics

PAC

(Perfect Authentic Cadence)

V or V

7

moving to I. Both chords in root position. Soprano on root of I chord.

IAC

(Imperfect Authentic Cadence)

V or V

7

moving to I, but with either an inverted chord, or the soprano not finishing on

the tonic.

HC

(Half Cadence)

A cadence that ends on a V chord. The V chord can be approached from a number of

other chords (I, ii, IV, V/V, etc.)

PC

(Plagal Cadence)

IV moving to I. Also known as “church” cadence. Named for the “Amen” commonly

used at the end of hymns.

DC

(Deceptive Cadence)

A cadence that creates the expectation of going to I, but substitutes another chord

instead. Common substitutes for I are: vi, IV

6

, VI, and occasionally IV or V/ii.

CHROMATIC CHORDS

Type Notation

Distinguishing

Features

Secondary

Chord

V/ii

vii

o7

/V

Any dominant-functioning chromatic chord that leads (by falling 5

th

or rising halfstep root

movement) to a diatonic pitch. The chord on the top can be any of the following (in any
inversion): V, V

7

, vii

o

, vii

o7

, vii

ø7

. The chord on the bottom can be any diatonic or borrowed

chord that is major or minor.

Borrowed

Chord

see borrowed

chord chart

Any chromatic triad or seventh chord that is “borrowed” from the parallel minor (or the parallel
major if the original key is minor). All notes in the chord must exist in the parallel key to qualify.

Neapolitan

6

th

Chord

N

6

A major triad in first inversion with a lowered 2

nd

scale degree as its root. This chord functions as

a pre-dominant chord, usually coming before a V or a I

6

4

.

Augmented

6

th

Chord

It

+6

Fr

+6

Ger

+6

Any of three specific chords which contain the interval of an augmented sixth resolving outward
by half-steps in both directions to the dominant pitch. See chart.

AUGMENTED 6

TH

CHORDS

Notes Present

Example

(Key of C)

It

+6

Three pitches only. The

characteristic augmented sixth

interval, and the tonic pitch.

Fr

+6

The characteristic augmented

sixth interval, the tonic pitch,

and the second scale degree.

Ger

+6

The characteristic augmented

sixth interval, the tonic pitch,

and the lowered third (or the

regular third in minor).

*The “characteristic augmented sixth interval” consists of two

pitches, an augmented sixth apart, that resolve outward by

halfsteps to the dominant pitch.

BORROWED CHORDS

(Mode Mixture)

Triads – Major Key

Diatonic

Chord

I ii iii IV V vi vii

o

Borrowed

Chord

i ii

o

III iv v VI

VII

The only triads commonly borrowed in

minor keys are the I and the IV

Seventh Chords – Major Key

Diatonic

Chord

I

M7

ii

7

iii

7

IV

M7

V

7

vi

7

vii

ø7

Borrowed

Chord

i

7

ii

ø7

III

M7

iv

7

v

7

VI

M7

VII

7

vii

o7

CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

SCALES

Major

Natural

Minor

Harmonic

Minor

Melodic

Minor

Pentatonic

Whole

Tone

Blues

Octatonic

(H-W)

Octatonic

(W-H)

CHORD QUALITIES

Triads

Chord Type

Bottom

Interval

Top

Interval

Outside
Interval

Roman

Numeral

Jazz

Symbol

Example

(key of F)

Major Triad

M3

m3

P5

IV

B

Minor Triad

m3

M3

P5

vi

Dm, Dmi,

Dmin, D-

Augmented Triad

M3

M3

A5

V

+

C

+

, Caug

Diminished Triad

m3

m3

d5

vii

o

E

o

, Edim

Seventh Chords

Chord

Type

Common

Name

Bottom

Interval

Middle

Interval

Top

Interval

Outside
Interval

Roman

Numeral

Jazz

Symbol

Example

(key of G)

Minor-minor 7

th

Minor

7

th

m3 M3 m3 m7 ii

7

Am7, Ami7,

A-7

Major-major 7

th

Major

7

th

M3 m3 M3 M7 I

M7

GM7, Gma7,

Gmaj7, G∆7

Major-minor 7

th

Dominant

7

th

M3 m3 m3 m7 V

7

D7

Fully diminished 7

th

Diminished

7

th

m3 m3 m3 d7 vii

o7

F#

o7

,

F#dim7

Half diminished 7

th

Half

diminished

7

th

m3 m3 m3 M3 ii

ø7

Am7

( 5)

Minor-major 7

th

Minor-major

7

th

m3 M3 M3 M7 n/a Em

(maj7)

SAMPLE ANALYSIS

E B /D E E /D A /C B

7( 5)

B E /G A Am

7( 5)

B 7 E

E : I V

6

I V

4

2

/IV IV

6

Fr

+6

V I

6

IV vii

ø7

/V V

7

I

HC

IAC

PT

UNT

SUS

Jazz Chords Above

Roman Numerals and Figures Below

Cadences Labeled

Non-Chord Tones Labeled

Key Identified